South Africans spent R694 million on the VW Polo Vivo in one month

The VW Polo Vivo is the most popular small car in South Africa, with motorists spending over R694 million on the hatchback in one month.

In September 2026, a total of 2,553 Vivo units made their way off the showroom floor at a starting price of R271,900.

This made it not only the best-selling hatchback, but the best-selling passenger car and the second-best-selling vehicle overall behind the Toyota Hilux.

This is according to a report by The Citizen, using data from the Automotive Business Council.

As far as other hatchbacks are concerned, the Suzuki Swift continues to be a fan favourite with 2,012 sales.

The Toyota Starlet came third with 1,573 units, and the Hyundai Grand i10 came fourth with 1,526.

Fifth place was taken by the Vivo’s upmarket sibling, the Polo, which sold 1,005 units.

The Toyota Vitz added 949 units to the industry’s total, and the Renault Kwid came seventh with 528.

The last three hatchbacks to make it into the top 10 were the Suzuki Baleno, Tata Tiago, and Hyundai i20, which sold 511, 490, and 479 units, respectively.

In total, the top 10 hatchbacks sold a combined 11,626 units, representing 18.33% of the 61,645 vehicles sold in South Africa last month.

Best-selling hatchbacks in South Africa

These were the top 10 best-selling hatchbacks in South Africa in September 2026.

Note that the Hyundai Grand i10 is sold in both hatchback and sedan formats, but Hyundai does not report body-specific sales figures.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

1. VW Polo Vivo – 2,553 units

• Starting price – R271,900

2. Suzuki Swift – 2,012 units

• Starting price – R228,900

3. Toyota Starlet – 1,573 units

• Starting price – R273,700

4. Hyundai Grand i10 – 1,526 units

• Starting price – R227,400

5. VW Polo – 1,005 units

• Starting price – R373,800

6. Toyota Vitz – 949 units

• Starting price – R182,400

7. Renault Kwid – 528 units

• Starting price – R178,799

8. Suzuki Baleno – 511 units

• Starting price – R269,900

9. Tata Tiago – 490 units

• Starting price – R189,900

10. Hyundai i20 – 479 units

• Starting price – R309,900